Hi all.
I'm trying to upgrade, or even 'fresh install' Leopard on my G4 Mac Mini 2005, the problem is the DVD/CD drive is broken.

I have an iMac G4 with a working optical drive but I can't install Leopard on it or use it to install it onto an attached FW400 drive I have or by 'Target Drive' for that matter, because the iMac doesn't meet the specs of an 867ghz processor, but rather runs a 700ghz, and as I recall it has to boot at least once on the installing machine?

So I used Disk Utility on the iMac to make an image of the Install disk, mounted it then "restored" it with Disk Utility to a partition on an attached FW400 drive having formatted it correctly [Apple Partition Map] first. I then attached the Firewire drive with the partition to the Mac Mini and hit the install icon on that drive once it appeared, but all I get is the message...

The application "Install Mac OS X" cannot be used from this volume.
To install Mac OS X, please use the application provided on the Mac OS X installation Disc.

Been a long time since I've messed about with G4s and wonder if I'm doing something wrong.
I have an Intel MBP with an optical drive and a MBA without, but can't see how either could help.
Even the very first Mac Minis will run 10.5 so I can't work out what's the problem.

Sorted!
Even though I restored an image of the install disk on a FW400 drive it just ignored the Option key upon reboot. The only thing it recognised was the image restored to a USB stick but obviously, upon reboot, it lost it. So I restored the bootable USB to a Firewire drive and upon reboot whilst holding down the option key it presented me with the Firewire drive in a view that looked like something akin to OS 9. :O

Anyway, it asked what language I wanted and the rest is history, my old Mac Mini is now running Leopard which means I can backup everything on my 'file server' automatically via Time Machine to a 2.5" Sata via a USB to SATA cable. I had wondered if the USB would power it, but it works fine.

Additionally, having carried-out all updates I used SuperDuper to copy the installation to a Firewire partition, saving me having to go through all of that again.

You may have noticed that you get few answers in your threads here, I don't think it is anything personal,
rather it is this sub forum, it has few of us visiting,
if you have a question you really need help with I'd suggest to post it here, but maybe make an additional post on the main forum with a link to your post here. Just some friendly advice. Cheers

"Everything has been figured out, except how to live."
- Jean-Paul Sartre -